Accra: The Volta Regional Health Directorate has officially launched the World Hypertension Day campaign, marking the event during the Second Quarter Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) meeting held in Ho. This initiative, which took place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, aims to bolster public awareness and action against hypertension within the region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the meeting gathered health professionals, development partners, community leaders, and other multi-sectoral stakeholders to discuss strategies for combating hypertension. A key feature of the event was a presentation by Dr. Hectoria Awekeya, Acting Deputy Director of Public Health at the Directorate. Dr. Awekeya educated attendees on hypertension, its risk factors, prevention methods, and potential complications, emphasizing that hypertension is often a 'silent killer' since many individuals remain unaware of their condition due to a lack of symptoms until severe complications arise.
Dr. Awekeya introduced the Ghana Health Service's 'Measure One Million' campaign, an initiative launched last year to encourage adults across the country to undergo blood pressure screenings. The campaign's objective is to identify one million adult Ghanaians with undiagnosed hypertension. Early detection, she noted, is crucial for enabling newly diagnosed patients to access appropriate care and treatment, which can help mitigate complications such as stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease associated with uncontrolled hypertension.
The Volta Region has been tasked with screening 51,650 adults as part of this campaign, with each of the 18 districts given specific targets to achieve the regional goal. However, Dr. Awekeya revealed that by May 19, 2026, only about 6,000 adults had been screened and recorded in the database. She urged stakeholders, institutions, and community leaders across the region to support the campaign by enhancing public education and screening activities to reach the target.
Participants at the meeting committed to supporting the campaign through increased community engagement and public sensitization efforts. The meeting concluded with a collective pledge from stakeholders to promote healthy lifestyles, improve hypertension awareness, and alleviate the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the Volta Region.